fundamentally found; whereas, however our common Opponents may poffefs fome occafional rectitude, their various fchemes, as the arguments of the learned and the experience of all ages have proved, are radically defective, and contain the principles of endless divifions and confufion, in their very nature.

The Divines, however, upon whose procedure the nature of the present undertaking renders it neceffary to animadvert, are the Aggrejors. They have attacked, perfonally and by name, a number of Individuals, who had taken no fuch liberty with them. They, therefore, at any rate, cannot reasonably find fault. And, from among fuch of their coadjutors as have fallen under the writer's obfervation, it may be proper also to mention, that they have generally been selected on account of their refpectability. Nor is it the Writer's intention, that a fingle paffage fhould be applied to any Divine who does not professedly hold the doctrines advanced in their works; or, that they should be responsible for the doctrines of each other, any further than they professedly agree. He therefore who poffeffes the "Mens confcia recti," will neither be injured nor difmayed.

There are many, very many, ferious and worthy minifters in the Church, it is believed, who do not adopt the language, and class themselves in the ranks, of the characters here defended; who nevertheless, acknowledge their doctrines to be thofe of the Articles; approve of these doctrines in their hearts; and are only deterred from more frequently dwelling upon them by the dread of incurring an odious name. Is it faid, that the boundary of fimple defence has been too far exceeded, and that too much has been done offenfively? Our late great Premier's Apology, under a fimilar reprehenfion, is full in point; a persuasion that nothing would fo effectually contribute towards an

(z) See below, Ch. ix. beginning of Conclufion.

honourable and a lafting peace, as a reformation of the Antagonist's principles.

Another thing of which the writer is aware, is, his own incompetency to do juftice to the fubject. Many, he doubts not, will exclaim on the occafion "Non tali auxilio, nec defenforibus iftis tempus eget." Others, he foresees, among his elder brethren, will be even angry at the attempt, and will certainly represent it as impertinent and prefumptuous. He muft, however, be indulged in believing, that fuch is the clearness of the cause, to the extent to which it is here pursued, that the meanest advocate, who engages in it, can fcarcely fail, in fome degree, to advance it. There is no pretenfion to any novelty of argument. Although not, perhaps, precisely under its prefent form, the question has, in effect, been difcuffed too often to admit of this, whoever may undertake it. But it by no means follows, that hence it is useless to advance any thing upon the fubject. There is much wisdom in the obfervation of the late eminent Mr. Burke; "Let us only fuffer any person to tell us his story, morning and evening, but for one twelve-month, and he will become our master *." And who, except thofe to whom the business is familiar, hears only the pleadings of one party in a court of judicature, and is not generally inclined to become his partisan? The clamour therefore which is now raised upon the fubject in queftion', and the frequent repetition of the old arguments on one fide of the cafe, will justify the repetition of a few particulars on the oppofite fide, in the minds of all who really defire that the iffue may be according to

truth.

Nor is a reply wholly wanting to other parts of the objection which this regard to the "an liceat, an deceat,

(k) Quoted in the Antijacobin Review for July, 1798, p. 58. (1) See the Writings of Dr. Croft, Mr. T. Ludlam, Mr. Clapham, Mr. Daubeny, Mr. Polwhele, the Antijacobin Review, &c. &c.

an expediat," may fuggeft. Many inftances might be adduced, in which, as the great Dr. Johnfon obferves, they "who form the bafe of the pyramid of fubordination, and lje buried in obfcurity them felves, fupport all that is splendid, confpicuous, or exaltedm." No perfon, however, who has fubfcribed to the doctrines of our Church, and is an appointed public teacher of these doctrines, should be suppofed wholly ignorant of their nature. Or, to say the least, in this land of perfect liberty, no perfon is too infignificant to affigu the reafons for his conduct, when he finds himself implicated in a public cenfure. This privilege will especially be allowed him, when, as in the prefent cafe, the charge is a ferious one, which affects, at once, his underftanding and his integrity, his reputation and his interest ; when fuch charge is made very notorious, and reiterated with great confidence, as a fact that is unquestionable; and when, after a very careful inquiry, he firmly believes there is no foundation for it whatever; but that, as a species of king's evidence, the accufers themfelves are the real of fenders.

Of one class of readers, the writer folicits candour; of another, he demands justice. Those who have affumed the immediate office of giving a verdict on fuch occafions, it will be found, are deeply interested in the bufinefs. They, therefore, according to the ordinary course of justice, are incapacitated for being heard; or, at the most, they can only give a fort of "ex parte" evidence. Those of them, however, although interefled, may be expected to act honourably, whose main and professed object it is to expofe the

UNFAIRNESS OF REVIEWERS".

The manner in which the fubject is here treated, is as old-fashioned, as the doctrine which is defended. A leading characteristic of this is, to advance nothing without

(m) Rambler, Vol. iii. p. 225. Ed. 12. (n) See the Prospectus to the Antijacobin Review, and that to the British Critic.

PROOF; to claim credit for nothing which is not either founded in argument, or fupported by teftimony; and, in the use of this testimony, to admit nothing at second hand; but to bring forward the vouchers to speak for themselves; or at the least, to specify their names, and characters, and places of abode. This, it must be confeffed, is a procefs which, befides being unfashionable, is liable to many ferious objections and inconveniences. Who knows not how much more difficult it is to prove than barely to affirm, almoft the plaineft matter? Who fees not the drudgery and tediousness of fuch a procedure, and the awkward appearance of the margin which it occafions? And how fhall all this be endured? How much more eafy and compendious a method of treating an opponent it is, to class him, at once, with perfons whofe principles or characters are generally obnoxious, with whom he may happen to hold fome things in common; and conftantly to affail him with their abfurdities! How much more fimple a process it is, to get furnished with a few indefinite terms of abuse, which, as the late excellent Bishop Horne affirms of them, "always fignify what the impofers please to mean, and the people to hate ;" and with these, as with a fort of magic, to overwhelm him at a stroke!

Tedious, however, as the mode of investigation here adopted is, in questions of fact, of which kind the present inquiry muft chiefly be confidered, the wifdom of ages has discovered no method fo certain for arriving at truth. And really, there is no end of regarding what angry opponents merely affirm of each other. On this plan, the chief of the Apofiles may be reprefented as "mad;" and Chrift himfelf charged with immorality and obnoxious connections". Nor do fheer vulgar prejudices, fuppofitions that those who differ from us, in religious opinion, are a kind of monsters in the creation, at all change their nature whether they proceed

(0) See Matt. xi, 19, and Acts xxvi. 24.

from the "great vulgar" or the fmall; from the chair of fome learned feminary, or from that of the nurfing-room.

The method here purfued affords alfo the best security against the iniquity of quotation itself. It is, "prima facie,” a pledge of the writer's fairness, as removing all hope that dishonesty would remain undetected. It affords easy means of examination and fatisfaction to those who are doubtful. It is indeed fcarcely poffible not, fometimes, to misunderftand, and of courfe, to mifrepresent an author. It is ftill lefs poffible to avoid the imputation of this conduct; becaufe, when placed, however juftly, in a fituation that is unpleasant to him, a difingenuous writer will deny his own doctrine, and equivocate even with himself. In what is here given as quotation, the words of the author are carefully diftinguifhed. For the juftnefs of what he is faid to teach in effect, to infinuate, intimate, &c. the places referred to muft anfwer. No ftrefs is laid on mere criticisms on the meaning of a few doubtful words; nothing is founded on confequences deduced from the opponent's doctrines, which he can fairly deny. Whatever is not proved by a whole body of evidence, rendered ftrong and invincible by the harmony and fupport of all its parts, and interpreted as it would be by plain honeft men of found understandings and fufficient information, fhall be confidered as not proved at all. It is therefore especially defired, that, on one part, and on the other, regard may be had to no UNSUPPORTED CHARGE; and that, "with what measure we mete, it may be measured to us again.”

The Churchmanship of the perfons under confideration being ascertained, a few things are offered on behalf of the

(z) In a few inftances, the perfon, or tenfe, or an infignificant word for the fake of connection, is altered, or the antecedent is put for the relative, but never (errors excepted) where fuch change can poffibly affect the argument.

(p) Matt. vii. 2.